The present invention relates to an armrest structure for a vehicle and a setting method of an armrest height for a vehicle, which comprises a first armrest to support an elbow of one of arms of a passenger seated in a seat, the first armrest being provided on one side of the seat in a seat width direction, and a second armrest to support an elbow of the other arm of the passenger seated in the seat, the second armrest being provided on the other side of the seat in the seat width direction.
Conventionally, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2010-221843, a structure, in which a lid to open or close an upper face of a console box provided in a vehicle is used as an armrest and a height of the console box (the height of the armrest at the upper face of the console box) is changeable by using a spring to raise or lower the console box and a positioning mechanism to hold the console box at a specified height, is known.
According to the structure disclosed in the above-described patent document, the height of the armrest can be adjusted with a non-electrical, simple mechanism, and a passenger can be provided with appropriate elbow's support feelings by adjusting the armrest height in accordance with a passenger's body size or taste.
The above-described patent document, however, refers to nothing about positional relationships between the armrest and a seat in which the passenger is seated. Accordingly, even though the armrest height is changeable, there is a concern that in a case in which the position of the armrest in a vehicle width direction is extremely close to or far away from the seat, for example, the appropriate elbow's support feelings may not be provided to the passenger.
In particular, in a case in which armrests are provided on right and left sides of the seat (on both sides in the vehicle width direction), any difference in elbow's support feelings between the right side and the left side may cause some uncomfortable (inappropriate) feelings to the passenger.